Bryan Singer has publicly responded following the news that he has been fired from upcoming Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

It was announced yesterday (December 4) that the director had been let go from the project after production on the film shut down due to Singer's unexpected absence from the set.

At time time, Singer's rep explained the absence as a "personal health matter", and following the news of his firing the director has now clarified to say the absence was to help deal with one of his parents falling ill.

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"I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honor the legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first," Singer said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Bohemian Rhapsody is a passion project of mine. With fewer than three weeks to shoot remaining, I asked Fox for some time off so I could return to the US to deal with pressing health matters concerning one of my parents," Singer added.

"This was a very taxing experience, which ultimately took a serious toll on my own health. Unfortunately, the studio was unwilling to accommodate me and terminated my services. This was not my decision and it was beyond my control."

THR also alleges that production on the project was rocky from the start because of Singer's on-set personality clashes with Malek, who's playing Freddie Mercury in the film, but Singer addressed those rumours and dismissed them as "not true".